


Mastering Mortality

by penstrikesmidnight



Series: IwaOi Horror Week 2019 [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alchemy, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Child Neglect, Friends to Lovers, IwaOi Horror Week, M/M, Obsessive Behavior, Plants, Undetermined Illness, Visions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-03 07:57:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21176042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penstrikesmidnight/pseuds/penstrikesmidnight
Summary: Hajime starts an unlikely friendship with the weird kid who prophesied death at age seven, which may or may not save his life.





	Mastering Mortality

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts: The shadow of a knife/a silver hook/**the rusted cleaver**/a single nail/**a spool of thread**/**ten inches of wood**/the last stake
> 
> Day one of IwaOi Horror Week! I promise this started off Properly Horrific and then somewhere along the way it just got...really soft and somewhat metaphorical. Don't worry, there are more Properly Horrific fics on their way. There's, like, horror at the end of this one for .5 seconds. Still, I ended up really liking it and hope you do too!

Tooru prophesied the death of a classmate at the age of seven in front of an emptying cafeteria, frightening teachers and giving children fodder for relentless teasing. To make matters worse, he promptly threw up and lost consciousness afterward. Manifesting at such a young age was not unheard of (Hajime himself had been growing flowers since he was four), but Tooru never made another prophesy again, which was uncommon to the point of improbable, but not impossible. Of course, it did nothing to help his social standing. 

They lived in a small town, everyone threading through each other’s business. Hajime’s mother reprimanded him when he came in to tell her about how the weird kid from down the street threw up at school. “I raised you better than to make fun of someone who has a harder life than us. You are going to apologize.”

“But Mom, he doesn't even _know_ I said...!”

“No buts. Do you want to take something to him?”

Hajime pouted but glanced over at the windowsill, where his new flowers were just starting to blossom. “I guess maybe that,” he said, pointing to a purple and yellow pansy, his best one so far. “And do you still have cookies?”

His mother smiled as she rummaged in the freezer for the cookies. “Ice two or three for him.”

“Wait, Mom.” She cocked her head, waiting for him to continue. “Maybe, instead, can I invite him over to decorate the cookies with us?”

His mother’s smile widened. “Of course. Do you want me to call over first?”

Hajime shook his head. “No, I’ll go over. Be right back!” And, with the pansy still in his hands, he raced over to the house on the corner. The one that all the kids avoided, which Hajime thought was dumb. 

He knocked on the door, shifting from foot to foot afterward, suddenly self conscious. Before he could do anything the door opened, wide brown eyes staring into his. “Um, hi. I brought you this. Hope you’re feeling better.”

“Oh. Thank you Iwai...Iwaizi...”

“Iwaizumi,” Hajime offered. Tooru smiled shyly, tucking the potted flower to his chest. 

“Iwaizumi. You can call me Tooru!”

“Yeah, okay.” Hajime took a deep breath. “And...Do you wanna come over and decorate cookies? I was gonna do them for you, but I thought it would be funner to do it together...”

Tooru’s brown eyes widened further. “Yes! Just a minute, let me put my new flower away and tell my mama where I’m going!” 

Hajime stood awkwardly at the open door as Tooru raced down the hallway. “Mama, I’m going over to the Iwaizumi’s,” he stumbled over the name, “to decorate cookies!”

“Tooru, I’m on the phone, be quiet! If you want to make friends you have to be a normal child.”

“Sorry Mama,” Tooru said meekly. Hajime scuffed his foot on the stair, trying not to listen as Tooru got yelled at. His anger simmered as Tooru joined him back on the steps, refusing to look him in the eye as he put on his shoes.

“C’mon. We can ask my mom if you can spend the night.”

“Really Iwa...Iwai...”

Hajime sighed. “Iwaizumi.”

Tooru screwed his face up in concentration. “Iwa-chan?”

Hajime sighed again. “I guess.”

He didn’t know what the strange feeling in his young chest was when he saw Tooru’s radiant smile, but he knew he wanted Tooru to stay happy. He would try his hardest to make it so. 

***

Slowly, Hajime stitched together a patch quilt about Tooru’s family situation. His mother loved her work as much as she should have loved her son. His father had left recently. Tooru didn’t know if he was coming back and didn’t want him to. His mother had no Gift whatsoever, but his father had minor foretelling, which may be why Tooru had fallen into that one trance that unraveled his chance of a normal school existence. Hajime could tell it really troubled him. Tooru’s longing to be accepted was voracious. 

They were best friends for five years. And then middle school happened. Not that Hajime was bitter (he wasn’t, really) that Tooru forgot him as soon as the girls started noticing his good looks and boys wanted to hang out with him because he was quirky. Actually, Hajime was happy for him, for finally getting the love and appreciation that he deserved. And if Tooru sometimes came over to his house late at night because his mother had left him alone for a week and he was still scared of monsters, Hajime didn't mind being taken advantage of in that way.

In high school Tooru chose to pursue alchemy. Because he was popular it went down easier than Hajime thought, but he could see the tide shifting. People who studied alchemy were too weird. Sure, alchemists did some good things, like create various panacea or readjust one’s spirit and body into perfect realignment, but there were doctors and psychologists who could do that too, scientifically. Hajime knew why Tooru did it—he longed for a tie to the magic he had manifested so long ago and never seen again. Tooru also loved challenges. Being a doctor or a lawyer wouldn’t have cut it. He would have solved it too fast.

Hajime only remembered one day they really talked during their last year of high school. It had just snowed. Hajime had stayed late in the greenhouses to try to create a faded turquoise and white rose—their school colors—to little success. He started cleaning and locking up when he found Tooru in the back corner, huddled next to a heat lamp, powders and metal wire strewn around the floor next to some nastily vibrant red roses. Hajime had to blink a few times to clear the flowers from his vision. 

“Oi, Shittykawa, what the hell are you doing here?”

Tooru jumped, his eyes flying open. A vial of gold powder than had rested on his knee fell, rolling out all the powder. He scrambled to scoop it back into the container. “Hey Iwa-chan. Sorry I fell asleep, it feels nice and cozy in here! And the smells...” Tooru chuckled, a little hysterical. Hajime frowned, then bent to help Tooru clean his mess.

After they had gathered everything they could, Hajime watched Tooru repack his kit. “You’re shaking,” Hajime said suddenly, and before he could think the action through he placed his hand over Tooru’s. Tooru stilled. He glanced up at Hajime before quickly returning his attention to his kit. “It’s cold,” Tooru said, even though the heat lamp baked down on them. Hajime sighed, removing his hand. Tooru quickly organized everything before slamming the lid shut, stuffing his work into his backpack. He stood, brushing various powders and plant matter off of his pant legs. Hajime stood up after him, still watching warily as if he expected Tooru to make a break for it. 

“C’mon, Iwa-chan! I bet I can tell which ones you made.” And Tooru bounced happily down the aisles, pointing out various plants. Surprisingly, he guessed right more than he guessed wrong. “It’s a pattern, Iwa-chan! Someone else just has a very similar style, but I think I’m figuring it out! This one looks like yours, but it’s the imposter’s!”

Hajime smiled at Tooru’s enthusiasm. He watched Tooru lovingly handle his plants, cooing over these colors or those designs. "I come in here all the time, but you never notice," Tooru said as he stroked a lily petal. "I mean, I hide from you, so don't feel bad Iwa-chan!"

Hajime stared at him. "I...I'm sorry," he said, but Tooru laughed it away, continuing down the aisle toward the door.

"Where are you going after you graduate?" Tooru asked, his back facing Hajime as he studied an orchid.

"The local university. They have a good botany program."

Tooru nodded. "I thought maybe that's where you would end up. Did you know that alchemy is generally based on where the user feels the most comfortable? I tried to do some work in Tokyo when my mother made me join her on a business trip, but it just felt wrong. It made me physically sick. Mom thought I had food poisoning. So I guess I'm not leaving anytime soon."

Hajime did not realize until just then how much he had dreaded Tooru's response to the question. To hear that Tooru would stay close to him gave him a sense of relief he didn't know he had lacked. "Ohhh, Iwa-chan, this one's my favorite!"

Curious, Hajime peered over Tooru's shoulder. He held a pansy colored like a sunset, purples, pinks, deep blues. Hajime had to admit he was pretty proud of that one--it had earned him extra credit. "Keep it."

Tooru stared up at Hajime, eyes wide. They were so brown, like the soil Hajime worked with every day. He pressed the pot to his chest as if he were protecting it. "Really, Iwa-chan?"

Hajime nodded. He knew if he tried to speak, his words would break apart. Because the way Tooru looked at him with real happiness instead of his school mask captivated him, made his heart speed up, his mind fracture into half-thoughts of trying to keep that look on Tooru's face. Always.

Hajime cleared his throat when the moment dragged on. Tooru blinked, his mask shifting back on. "Thanks. We should probably go."

"Yeah." The rest of their journey home was quiet, Tooru staring at his new flower most of the time.

They passed Hajime's house first. "Thanks again," Tooru said. "I'll cherish it! See you later?"

"Yeah. I mean, you can come over. Whenever. If you need to?" Hajime didn't really know what he was saying, just knew that his new feelings had started spewing out of his mouth and he was helpless to stop them.

Tooru blinked owlishly before nodding. "Um, okay. Yeah. I'll text you?"

Hajime nodded stupidly. Tooru nodded back before slipping away with a quick goodbye. Later, in bed, Hajime wondered how stupidly transparent he could possibly get. Tooru had just always been able to bring out the most protective side of him.

***

They didn't talk at school. Their meetings were private affairs, usually filled with homework and awkward silences. Graduation came. Hajime forced Tooru to come over to his house to celebrate, as his mother had had important business elsewhere. No time for her son. Hajime did meet Tooru's sister and nephew, but his sister lived three hours away and had to get back for an early meeting. "You can come with us?" she asked Tooru, but he shook his head, sidling up to Hajime.

"Iwa-chan and I will have fun! Be safe, okay? Thanks for coming."

Hajime hated the way Tooru accepted everyone close to him leaving.

As the party wound down to just Hajime's family and Tooru, Tooru cleared his throat, looking suddenly nervous. "Hey Iwa-chan. Do you want to stay at my place tonight? My mom is away on business, so it would just be us. I can make something for dinner...and, I mean, I need to do some work...I can show you..."

Hajime laughed softly. "Shut up, Idiotkawa. I'll come over."

"So rude, Iwa-chan," Tooru answered with a grin.

They said their goodbyes. As Hajime's mother hugged him, she whispered, "You be good. And _safe_."

Hajime rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, it's not like we're going anywhere."

"That's exactly what I mean." She stared at him with that all-knowing look and her meaning finally settled in.

"Holy shit, Mom, we're not..."

"Language, Hajime. I am your mother and I know you better than you know yourself. You have liked him since you were eight..."

Hajime groaned, his face flaming red. "Okay, okay. Thanks for the concern, but I am pretty sure we are _not_ having sex tonight."

If his mother was going to make him have this conversation, he was going to make it as awkward as possible, but instead of embarrassment his mother just laughed. "Thanks for the reassurance, Hajime. Love you."

"You okay, Iwa-chan?" Tooru asked as he joined him on the porch.

"Let's just go," Hajime said. He was glad he was already blushing when Tooru slipped his hand into Hajijme's. "Your hands are freezing!"

"That's why I'm making Iwa-chan warm them up!" Tooru said cheerfully before wrapping his other hand around Hajime's. Hajime gritted his teeth and refused to look back to see if his mother saw them holding hands.

***

The night started off normally enough. Tooru did indeed cook, burning half the chicken and almost breaking down until Hajime ate his burned portion all in one bite, shocking Tooru into silence. 

“You’re really a perfectionist, aren’t you?” Hajime finally asked, breaking the silence. Tooru shrugged, glancing down at his own mostly burned piece. "It's okay to not be perfect."

"But I'm Oikawa Tooru. I'm quirky and funny and nothing gets to me because I do everything right," he said promptly, as if he lived by the mantra daily.

Hajime snorted. "You are Oikawa Tooru who works so hard he falls asleep in the greenhouse because it's too warm, who tries to pretend that he is aloof when someone has a snide remark about him, and cannot seem to see how perfect he is just being himself."

Tooru's head jerked up, his eyes so wide Hajime thought his eyeballs might leave their sockets. Hajime stared back, willing his cheeks not to darken, hoping he could keep a straight, serious face. Why the _hell_ would he say all of that? Like thread unraveling from a bobbin, the words had unwound until there was just a pile between them.

"I have visions about Iwa-chan," Tooru blurted suddenly. Hajime blinked at the abrupt change in topic. Undeterred by Hajime's silence, Tooru leaned forward, scooting so that they were only inches from each other. "Ever since the first one, all my visions have been about you. But they're just...fragments, moments, less than five seconds. I knew we would have that conversation in the greenhouse, but I didn't know where you said you were going. I knew we would be at the graduation party together, but only because I saw you running up the stairs to get something from your room. They're never longer than five seconds, which is why I can hide them so easily."

Hajime knew his mouth had fallen open, but he could not bring himself to do anything about it. He just stared at Tooru, who looked back at him. He was so close Hajime could make out the lightest smattering of freckles along his nose, the velvety smoothness of Tooru's lips. He wonders if Tooru used chapstick to keep them that way. Hajime's lips were perennially chapped.

He knew he should say something but Tooru sitting like this, so close, had made all the words fall out of his head. Instead he pressed himself closer, watched Tooru's eyes widen for a fraction of a second before falling shut, and kissed him.

It was everything he had thought about and completely unexpected at the same time. Tooru pulled himself closer, adjusting the awkward angle Hajime had set in his eagerness so that they were truly kissing. He felt Tooru's arms wrap around his neck and he reciprocated by wrapping an arm around Tooru's waist, the other hand cupping his cheek. "Is this okay?" Tooru asked as if he were the one to initiate their intimacy.

"Mmm-hmm," Hajime managed to get out before his lips were back on Tooru's. When they broke away minutes or hours later Tooru giggled, his eyes brighter than Hajime had ever seen them.

"Did you do this on purpose?" Hajime asked. Tooru gave him a confused look so Hajime elaborated. "Asking me over tonight. Did you know this was going to happen?"

"Ah, not quite," Tooru said. "I mean...I thought maybe...but I wasn't going to push anything..."

Hajime groaned but kissed Tooru's cheek. "The couch might be comfier. We can put on a movie..."

"Wait," Tooru said, taking both of Hajime's cheeks in his hands and forcing him to look at him. "Does this mean that we're...together, together? Like, boyfriends, or whatever?"

"Do you want to be?" Hajime asked, then laughed as Tooru nodded his head yes so violently his hair got into his face. Hajime fixed it, tracing the shape of his ear, then his nose, with his fingers. "Sorry, that's probably weird..."

"No! Iwa-chan can touch me!" Tooru realized what he had just said and his face turned red. "I mean...you can touch my face..."

They moved to the couch and put on the TV. Hajime wasn't sure what they watched, as he was too busy making out with his new boyfriend, but it was nice. Everything was nice.

And if Hajime had to confess to his mother that he had a new boyfriend when he got home because she discovered a hickey on his neck, he still wouldn't admit she was right, because they sure didn't have sex that first night together. 

***

They decided to move into an apartment together closer to the university. Tooru wasn't attending school, but he could do his work anywhere, and the apartment gave him an easier commute to his mentor. In fact, Tooru seemed to thrive anywhere Hajime was, which Hajime tried not to let go to his head. But it felt nice to feel wanted.

Hajime could not imagine having a better life than he did that first semester at college.

And then he passed out while jogging with Tooru.

It was not very long or anything, he caught himself before he hit the ground, but it was the start of his declining health. He felt dizzy when he woke up in the mornings, so tired after walking to and from campus that he almost blacked out every time he sat down. By the end of his first year, he could barely carry his backpack if it had his laptop in it.

Tooru dragged him to doctor after doctor, alchemist after alchemist. Everyone gave them the same answer--nothing appeared wrong, but something definitely was. Hajime watched Tooru pace their apartment, more anxious about his health than Hajime.

"I'll do it," Tooru declared. Hajime raised his eyebrows. "I'll find a way to fix this. I _have_ to. You're--You're my whole world. You're the only one who doesn't leave. You _can't_ leave me." Hajime wrapped his arms around Tooru as he buried himself into his side. "Please don't leave me."  
Hajime closed his eyes. "I don't want to," he whispered.

***

That summer their apartment became a disaster of alchemy tools. Vials and powders and flasks and liquids strewn over every flat surface in every room. More often than not Hajime would wake up to Tooru sprawled on their counter or the floor having fallen asleep working on whatever concoction he was trying next. 

There were also flowers everywhere. Tooru worked on the plants before he allowed Hajime to try anything. He claimed that because the flowers came from Hajime they were excellent test subjects. Hajime loved watching Tooru work with them, careful and precise and so, so loving. Sometimes he would come home to find a bouquet sparkling where they used to be dull, or with copper veins instead of normal ones, little embellishments that completed the look. He wondered if Tooru did it to keep their spirits up. It was odd to give Tooru flowers, only to have them given back to him changed, but he couldn't say he didn't like seeing their personalities entwined on his own creation.

But the more Tooru failed, the more desperate he got.

As the new school year marched closer, Tooru sat Hajime down at their table, which he had cleaned for the occasion. So this was going to be a Serious Conversation.

"I don't think you should go back to school," Tooru said. Hajime blinked. He couldn't say this surprised him, but he thought Tooru would have said something sooner than a week before classes. "At least not until we can figure this out. I'm so close..."

"Tooru," Hajime said quietly. Tooru glared at him. "I can't put my life on hold for this..."

"You won't _have_ a life if you don't take care of this! Sometimes I feel like I am the only one who cares about whether or not you get better..."

He looked at Hajime, expecting him to jump in, to reassure him that everything would work out, like he always did. But Hajime stayed silent. Because he had come to the realization a few days ago. He probably _wasn't_ getting better. In fact, it seemed like every day he woke up wondering if he would pass out at some point and not wake up. And he was tired. So, so tired.

"Tooru, I..."

"No," Tooru said, expression sharp as a needle. "You will get better. I will _make_ you better. You aren't leaving me. Ever."

That was the first night Hajime went to bed scared of Tooru's determination.

After that, Tooru would not let Hajime out of his sight. They went shopping together, ran the smallest of errands together. If Hajime woke up in the middle of the night, Tooru did too, fetching him water or helping him to the bathroom (even when Hajime felt fine). 

The nightmares started not long after. Hajime stood in their apartment, vines covering every available space. Small, black flowers dotted them, sending off a cloying scent that made Hajime tired. He would sit on a barstool, where the wood would come alive, holding him fast to his seat.

"Tooru!" he called out in panic. Tooru would come running from their room, covered in the same vines.

"I've done it," he'd say, grinning triumphantly. Hajime had vines wrapping around his throat, cutting off his air. "I found my life calling. I don't need you anymore, Iwa-chan. You were just a distraction."

He would always wake up before he could suffocate.

***

Tooru relaxed into Hajime's hug for the first time in months. Hajime had not realized you could be in such proximity to another person for such a long time but still feel emotionally distant. But he missed Tooru, the Tooru from before this mess started. He wanted him back.

"You know," Hajime murmured, running his hand through Tooru's soft hair. "Death is a part of life. We should enjoy each other while I'm here."

"You're giving up again, Hajime," Tooru hissed, his grip on Hajime's wrist tightening until Hajime thought he would have a bruise there tomorrow. 

"I just...I don't want you to regret the time we didn't spend together when I'm gone."

"All I would regret is not being able to fix you," Tooru retorted. Hajime sighed but dropped the issue. He wanted a nice night with his boyfriend for a change, no talk of health, or healing, or arguing.

Hajime shifted so Tooru could curl into his side, his favorite place to sit. "We can watch something," Tooru offered, his voice slow, already half-asleep in his idleness. 

"Hmm," Hajime agreed, also drowsy. He glanced around for the TV remote. "Wait. Is that...?" He reached out and grabbed the pansy that had caught his eye.

Tooru laughed. "Aw, the start of our friendship. Yeah."

"You've kept it since you were _seven_?"

Tooru blushed. "I knew we were destined for great things! Besides, you had just died in my vision so I wanted to make sure..."

Tooru's voice trailed off. Hajime sat away from him. "I...You saw me, that day?"

"Well...I was kinda confused! You were too old to be Iwa-chan, but I _knew_ it was Iwa-chan! I could feel it inside of me. Since then I've always wanted to keep you alive. It's why I even _pursued_ alchemy, why I always work on plants! You and I belong together, Hajime. Always."

Hajime batted Tooru's hand away when it came up to console him. "You lied to me..."  
"I didn't lie! I told you I have visions about Iwa-chan! You're the one who didn't put together that the first one was about you too..."

"You could have said something."

Tooru pulled his legs up to his chest, grasping them for comfort. "I just...I don't want it to be real. It is not going to come true. I am going to fix you. Fix this."

Hajime sighed harshly. "Tooru. Isn't it about time you let this go? There have been thousands of alchemists before you, and there will be thousands more after. They haven't found the trick to eternal life, because death is imminent. It _has_ to come. No panacea, no elixir, is going to change that."

Tooru gripped his arms so tightly the skin on his arms were red, his fingers white. "There is a way. I have kept that damn flower alive for almost twenty years, and it should have died..." Tooru's eyes went wide. He uncurled himself from the couch. "Alchemy isn't just about magical cures, it deals with transmutation too...Hajime, I know what to do!"

With that, Tooru jumped away from the couch, gathering his supplies. Hajime sighed. Their moment ended, Hajime decided to get ready for bed.

***

Tooru left Hajime alone in their apartment for the first time in months. Hajime woke up without Tooru in bed with him. He found a note on the counter telling Hajime he had gone to his mentor's and would come back late that night. Hajime paced restlessly, anxiety building in his chest. When Tooru got something into his head, it was hard to talk him down. And this certain thing seemed permanent. Hajime wished he had talked to him first.

When Tooru came back, he looked pale, sore, and weak, but his smile beamed through the room. 

"It worked, Hajime, look," Tooru breathed. He took out a pocketknife from his jacket pocket and proceeded to slice it through his wrist. 

"What the fuck are you doing?" Hajime shouted, almost blacking out from his haste to get to Tooru. Tooru held his wrist out, which should have leaked blood, but all Hajime saw was a sappy residue already clogging up the cut. "What the fuck did you do to yourself?"

"Transmutation, Hajime. When I find the elixir, I can turn us back, but for now, we can live like this! I talked to Irihata-sensei, he told me it was crazy but it could work. He did it for me because I couldn't do myself, but I can do yours. It will be easier for you, since you already have plant magic! And! You won't have to worry about it interfering with your magic--I asked him, made sure it would work, that it wouldn't affect our lifestyle. We're still human, but we are enhanced with plant biology. So when your human body dies, your plant biology will still work!"

Hajime didn't know what to say to that. It sounded illogical, all of it. And was he really going to let Tooru cut into him, change everything about his body? Tooru stared at him with those wide, wide brown eyes. They really did look like soil now.

"I guess..."

"Great!" Tooru clapped his hands. "No time like the present! I'll sanitize the table and we'll get started!"

***

Hajime didn't know how he had come to this conclusion, lying on their kitchen table as Tooru hummed as he prepared his instruments. The thing that caught Hajime's eye was the rusted cleaver. "Don't worry, Iwa-chan! This one isn't going on you, it's just to cut the stake. Ten inches should be good, yeah?"

Hajime closed his eyes. He would die regardless of whether or not it was by Tooru's hand. He hoped Tooru succeeded, for his sake. Tooru would never forgive himself if he killed Hajime himself. 

He felt a small prick on his arm. When he opened his eyes he saw Tooru's fluffy hair above him. He felt a drop of water hit his cheek.

"Sorry, Iwa-chan," Tooru whispered, wiping his tears. "This is going to work. It has to. Please come back to me, okay?"

The room tunneled. Hajime closed his eyes as Tooru pressed a sterilized knife to his chest. 

***

Hajime woke up feeling better than he had in months. He sat up, glancing around. Tooru lay with his head on the table, breathing soft and even. Hajime threw his arms over his head and stretched, his back popping beautifully. He felt ready to go on a three mile run. He could hit the gym, carry Tooru to their room, rearrange all their furniture...

He glanced down at his bare chest. He could scarcely see where Tooru had made an incision. And to have ten inches of wood in his chest...the thought made him shudder.

He threw his legs off the table, ready to stand, sprint, skip, dance, and the motion woke Tooru. He sat up quickly. Obviously he had not fallen asleep on purpose. "Haji...Hajime. Is that you?"

"Yeah," he whispered. Tooru stood, staggered into Hajime, who caught him.

"You can't ever leave me," Tooru whispered. "I made sure of it."

Hajime rubbed his cheek on Tooru's soft hair. "I feel like that has implications other than just the weird plant thing you did."

"I...It's called Binding. I tied us together, so that if something happens to one of us, it happens to both. So...If you get sick again, I will too. One cannot live without the other. Take that, damn vision."

Hajime sat silent, still holding Tooru. This should frighten him, should have him screaming that Tooru should have asked for permission before doing something so reckless. And he had implied that nothing about this situation had featured in his very first vision, the vision where Hajime died. Which meant that now, Tooru could very well die as well. Instead of bringing any of that up, he just kissed Tooru's forehead. Hajime had always hoped someone would stay in Tooru's life until the very end. Why not himself?

"Here," Hajime said, grabbing an empty pot of soil. He grew a plain white pansy and held it out for Tooru. "What do you want to do with it?"

Tooru grinned.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments/kudos always welcome!


End file.
